The further to the left or the right you move, the more your lens on life distorts.

Wednesday, January 18, 2017

Rip van Winkle

To say that the main stream media and Donald Trump will have an adversarial relationship doesn't even begin to explain the venomous reporting that has become a daily occurrence, even before Trump is inaugurated as president. And when Trump "counter-punches" in ways that are sometimes justified and in other ways, thin-skinned, the media becomes instantly offended and defensive. They'd like to be seen as victims, attacked by the soon-to-be-president, but in reality, the vast majority of MSM reporters are (in the words of Instapundit's Glen Reynolds) "Democratic operatives with by-lines."

There are rumors that Trump intends to open the White House media to many others outside the MSM. In years past, that might have been a problem, but I think it's a master stroke. The MSM is among the least trusted of all American institutions—condemnation they richly deserve after many decades of blatant partisanship and journalistic malfeasance (culminating in the latest BuzzFeed debacle that was reported gleefully by MSM sources, even as they covered themselves by suggesting that the source was "unverified."

Cartoonist Michael Ramirez provides an almost perfect visual description of the MSM:

After eight years of sycophantic coverage of the Obama administration the media has rediscovery its adversarial role. Their coverage of Obama wallpapered his administration's many bad decisions, blatant dishonesty, major scandals, and dangerous foreign policy. The Rip van Winkles of the MSM have awoken to challenge the new President who doesn't meet their political proclivities. But like the fictional van Winkle, the MSM have slept through the last near-decade and is no longer in touch with the American people.

UPDATE-1:---------------------
The bias of the MSM feeds on the unhinged positions taken by people who they otherwise elevate. Consider Democratic Congresswoman Maxine Waters who suggested on MSNBC, after agreeing that Trump is "illegitimate," that a congressional investigation of Trump (remember, he isn't yet the President) be conducted and that "impeachment" would be appropriate should the "investigation" come up with sufficient cause. Here's Waters in her own words:

“If we discover that Donald Trump or his advocates played a role to help provide strategy — if they’re the ones who came up with ‘Crooked Hillary,’ if they’re the ones who came up with, ‘she’s ill, something’s wrong with her energy,’ and the way that he basically described her during the campaign — I think that is something that would put the question squarely on the table whether or not he should be impeached.”

It's funny that Waters doesn't seem at all concerned over the many, many "opposition research' leaks emanating from the Clinton campaign. Or that the media used incessantly in a failed attempt to demonize and delegitimize Trump. Or that the cries of "Trump violence" were part of the media narrative for months, when we later learned that operatives close to the Clinton campaign hired paid agitators to disrupt Trump events in an effort to get a violent response. Or the simple reality that the media never once investigated the source of the violence.

Nah, Waters and some other Democrats use two sets of rules—one for Democrats and another for anyone from the GOP. She and the trained hamsters in the MSM are partisan shills—nothing more. Her comments should embarrass every Democrat that actually wants to learn from Clinton's upset loss and rebuild the party.
UPDATE-2
------------------------John Kass provides a comical metaphor that seems to capture the outright hysteria of many within the mainstream media, the Hollywood Glitterati, among most social justice warriors, and more than a few progressives in the run-up to the Trump inauguration. He writes:

It's as if some evil zookeeper has released a boa constrictor into the friendly meerkat exhibit when the cute little mammals were sleeping.

And all we hear are pitiful, high-pitched meerkat shrieks and then, those tiny paws frantically scratching upon the glass.

And for those of us who have calmly accepted the election and inauguration of more than one President we didn't like, we look on as the Meerkats shreek ... and boycott ... and demonstrate ... and condemn ... and name call ... and hyperventilate. In the end, their behavior is nothing short of pathetic, and you know what, it'll hurt them far more than it'll help them. That's okay. After this national tantrum, they all deserve to be scorned.

About Me

Over the years, I’ve been an engineer, a manager, a professor, a consultant, an author and an entrapreneur. Today, I work with my sons at Evannex, an automotive aftermarket products manufacturer and e-commece company that specializes in electric vehicles. I've written a number of best-selling college textbooks and have tried the occasional novel.
I’ve lived long enough to see the irrationality in extreme positions taken by both ends of the political spectrum and worry that decisions driven by these positions may get us all into very real trouble. I harbor no illusions about influencing decision-making, only making a comment or two that might provoke you to think beyond the prevailing narrative.
On a personal level, I’ve been married for 48 years (to the same person!) and have two terrific sons who live and work in South Florida and are partners in a business we've created.
I'm originally from Connecticut, but have lived in SoFla for almost 20 years.